Baauer - ß

Baauer - ß
Anyone who's bothered to dig deeper than "Harlem Shake" will know that the internet-meme hit is hardly representative of Harry Rodrigues. Like many of hip-hop's best producers, Rodrigues's strength lies in his keen sense of space and subtle futurism: his beats sparkle with a modern sheen, and he prefers samples over clichéd hip-hop drum machines. "One Touch" is a great example of this. It's built around finger-snap percussion and a dramatic chord sequence. The whole thing is like a minefield of onomatopoeia, and this percussive sensibility is all over ß, the first full Baauer release since 2012 and a promising taster for his long-awaited debut album.

"One Touch" comes in two versions. One features buzz-worthy rap duo Rae Sremmurd, and would easily work on US radio, and a there's poppier take that expands on Aluna's breathy vocal, giving it a near-silent backdrop before it gets inundated with waves of sub-bass. "Floreana" is the EP's other highlight. It centres on a mallet-like riff that, again, feels impeccably polished as its dramatic twists and turns are pushed along by Rodrigues's choppy basslines. Moving between undulating broken beat and staccato sections, "Boog" is tribal and frantic, while "Swoopin" plays with bro-trap tropes, gruff grime stabs and harsh vocal gasps.